Hartselle, Alabama

Sec. 10-133. – Tethering of dogs prohibited.

(a) It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor to keep a dog on a tether as a method of confining such dog to any premises or a particular area of any such premises. For purposes of interpreting this section, to keep a dog on a tether, or to tether a dog, shall mean to confine or restrain a dog to, upon or within any premises or any portion of any premises by use of a rope, chain, cordage, leash, tether or other like or similar thing which is attached at one end to the dog and at the other end to any object or to any anchor or device on the ground on or upon such premises or any part of such premises. This provision shall not be circumvented by attaching one end of the restraint to the ground or an object which is on one premises and which allows the dog to enter upon adjacent premises.

(b) A person shall not be deemed to have violated this section under the following circumstances:

(1) When a dog is restrained by a leash which is held by a person and not attached to the ground or any object;

(2) When a dog is temporarily tethered to the ground or an object for a period of time reasonably necessary for a person to accomplish a particular task or temporarily keep the dog confined to a certain area to avoid contact with persons who are present on the premises for a particular purpose such as a social gathering, construction or repair of a structure or other object on the premises or such other like or similar purpose.

However, a person shall be deemed to keep a dog on a tether when he or she attempts to regularly utilize one of the foregoing exceptions as a method of circumventing the provisions of this section when the true object of tethering a dog is to do so as a usual manner of control or restraint of the dog on the premises.